Pulsation compensated meter



- March 15, 1927.

PULsA'rIoN CQMPENSATED METER I INVENTQR 'C'LHRE/v'ce ,7. Zmwu/ ATTORNEYS March 154927. 1,621,354

C. A. DAWLEY PULsATIoN coMPENsATEDzMETER Filed Dec. 21. 1921 y 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

` 93 Figa. 89

@fig/7% Mil/MWA INVENTOR CLHRENCE f7. Dun/LEV such pulsating flow on wellvknown types ofA l flow meters, and the correction or compensa- Patented Mar. l5, lgZ'?.

CLARENCE AI. 'DAWLEY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

i PULsA'rIoN coMPENsA'rED METER.

Application led IiJecember 21, 1921. Serial No. 523,902.

My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for measuring pulsating flow, and comprisesthe determination of the edect of consisting of one revolution ofthe crank` shaft.

Another form of pulsation often accom? panying an instantaneously variable velocity ot' flow, is the pulsation in the pressure of a fluid due to the non-uniform rate of supply or discharge from the pipe. The terms pulsation and pulsating flow as here used will be understood, however to refer only to the velocity or volume flowing.

My invention applies to meters ofthe Ven- Y turi, Pitot, flow nozzle, and disc orifice types, also to variable area meters such as the St. John steam ymeter and the New Jersey Meter Co. Tool-Om-Eter type. All of these meters are based upon a determination of the velocityof thel fluid by means of the head or differential pressures at certain points in the flow stream. The fundamental formula of' these meters is in which o is the velocity in feet per second, of the lluid,`2g is a constant, vandj?I i'sthe head expressed in suitable units. From this formula it is evident that the velocity varies as the square rooty of 4the head, or that the head varies as the square of the velocity.

The term flow meter, as used in this specification. and claims has the meaning commonly employed in engineering literature and commercial usage. It contemplates a device for determining the rate of flow of a fluid in a conduit, the flow not being actually measured by volumetric or gravimetric meth- Vods, but calculated by known laws governing the velocity, density, area of ilowstream and the diiierential head established by the flow. The differential head may be produced by any of the well known methods, such as the -Pitot tube, Venturi tube, or'restricted orifice in the flow stream. rl`he head may be observed by means of a manometer showing the head as the difference of two liquid levels, a mercury well having ametal float actuated by the differential head, or a piston of known area actuated by the head and opposed by a weight or spring. A iow meter is an inferential meter in whichvolume or weight-of fluid flowing is deduced from known differential head, density of fluid and area of flow stream.

From. the velocity and area of the flow stream, the volume orWeight may be determined, and the readings of the meter can be given in suitable` units, such as cubic feet per minute or pounds per hour, etc.

It is a wellrecognized fact by those skilled in the art of'metering that while head meters may be made to give very accurate results on a steady, non-pulsating, lowtliey do not give correct resultsf when applied to instantaneously varying or pulsating How. Thus, Mr. Francis P. Fisher, who has conducted exhaustive tests in the measurementof natural gas flow,- states in a paper before the American Society of Mechanlcal Engineers at convention in New Orleans, April is obtaining correct measurement with a pul- Carnegie Institute of 'Iechnology states in an article in the Iron Age, November 9,

. 1916,-The flow through the orifice must be constant ;l if it is pulsating or fluctuating a large error will result.

Mr. E. G. Bailey, president of the Bailey Water Co., states (A. S. M. E. Journal, @ctober, l1916) Regardless of the use of cams,

After many unsuccessful atspecial-shaped bells, displacing members, or

any other mechanism, wherebyv a motion is produced in direct proportion to the rate of flow for continuous flow, they cannot possibly produce an average reading that is directly proportional to the rate of flow in the case of pulsatng flow. l

l While the above opinions are correct with respect to meters now in general use, my investigations of the effect of pulsation on head meters have resulted in an analysis of these effects, and inthe provision of means by ther illustrative installation;

Fig. 6 isra more or less diagrammatic side elevation partially 1n section, of an appara- Y tus for indicating pulsations;

Fig. 7 is a plan thereof;

Fig. 8 is a pulsation chart;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a meter having an associated dash-pot to which the present invention is applied;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the dash-pot piston valve disc 95 drawn to a 'larger scale;

Fig. 11 is a plan of the `dash-pot piston v drawn to a larger scale; and

` height 0f the Fig. 12 is through.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a simple: form of flow meter. Fluid passes through pipe 1--2 in the direction of the arrow. An orifice plate 3 having an opening 4 of smaller diameter than the pipe, is tightly fitted into pipe 1---2.4 In order to pass orifice 4, the fluid must increase its Avelocity above that in the approach` pipe 1, and to produce this incrreased velocity there a pressure head will be established between pipe l where pressure is P1 and pipe 2 where pressure is P2. Pressure tap pipes 5 and 6 communicate pressure P1 and l?2 to headers 7 and 8 respectively. Connected between. 'headers 7 and 8 are three manometers 9, 10, 11. vIf a steady non-pulsating flow passes from pipe 1 through orifice 4 into pipe 2, the differa diametrical section there- -ence in pressure, or as it is commonly called,

the head, will be registered on the manometers 9, 10, 11. If the manometer fluid is water, the head will be expressed as the column of water in the manometers in inches of water. From 'data cove-ring the density of the Huid flowing in pipe 1-2, the size of the pipes, the size and character of orifice 4, and the head shown by the manometer-s, the velocity of the fluidv flowing can be computed and from its velocity,.the volume or'weight per unit of time may be determined.

Manometer 9 is the conventional U tube, communicating freely to headers 7 and 8 and having an unobstructed flow of manometer fluid. A

Manometer 10 is like 9 except that it has a gauge cock 14 through which the manome- .ter fiuld passes, or the cock may be above the water level and control the air orother .26 in body 15 by gravity.

will be referred to for vsimplicity as a check valve. The check valve is preferably connected between the two legse12 and 13 of manometer 11, but it may introduced into any of the connections between the manometer fluid and the pressure taps 5 and 6. In Figs. 3 and 4, the reference 15 is employed to indicate. the body of the check valve, 16 and 17 are gland nuts which, in connection with rubber gaskets 18, make a tight joint between body 15 and the legs12 and 13 of manometer 11. Body 15 has an inner dividing wall 19 with a restricted opening 20 of smaller diameter than the in.

ternal diameter of tubes 12 and 13. A valve disc 21 of thin metal normally rests on seat Valve disc 21 has a very small orifice 22 so disposed that the opening 22 is effective even when the valve disc is on its seat. Seat 26 is recessed to a diameter a little less than that of disc 2l so that pressure acting upward through opening 20 will act upon a llarge area of the underside of disc 21 and for the further purpose of insuring that orifice-'22 cannot become closed or partly closed by failure to register exactly over opening' 20. Valve disc 21 is of less diameter than chamber 27 of body- 15, and is therefore free to. rise `from its seat 26 when the pressure beneath exceeds that above the valve disc. Afring 23 fitted into upper end of body 15 has downwardly rejecting lugs 24 which restrict the rise of (fisc 21.

Itis evident that flow from tube 12.to tube 13 must take place through restricted.

`pass with somewhat less restriction. If the lift area under disc 21, or the annular space vbetween the outer diameter of 2l and the inner diameter of chamber 27 is of less effective area than opening 20, then the greatest restriction to upward flow Iwill be determined by the area which has the least effective value. For simplicity, we will assume that opening 20 is the effective area restricting upward How.

To correct for pulsating flow, I make opening 2O always greater than opening 22, and thereby permit fluid to adjust more easily from high to low heads than it does from low to high heads. The purpose of this will the example taken, while ,nearly to the average value of L be more fully understoodv by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Assume that the flow in pipe 1*2 is not uniformbut varies periodically during similar cycles covering a very short interval of time T. Assume that the rate of low during interval T averages unity, and that the orilice 4.-, etc., are so proportioned that this average unity flow, if constant and unvarying during interval T, would give unity head, for example one foot of water.

Acolumn. When uniform low is established manometersl 9, 10 and l1 will all show this same head 'of one foot, the'only dierence being that the column of manometer fluidwill adjust to the head more slowly manom'eters 10 and 11 than it will in manometer 9. Now assume thatthe lflow becomes nonuniform or pulsating, during cycle period T, in such manner that, during equal intervals of time t1, 152 and t3, the relative'flow in .interval t, is 2.5, in interval t2 flow i515 and interval t3 flow is zero. From the fundamental formula relating velocity or volume to head, it is evident that the instantaneous actual heads during these intervals will be,

i'elatively, 6.25 dur1ng't.25 during t2, and

0 during t3. From this the average flow V v is unity and the average head H is 2.17. In other words, the average head, if it could be observed, would be 2.17 times as much as for thesame aver-age rate of flow over time T, if-unit'orm. The apparentvolume, Howing, if computed from average head would be the square .root of 2.17. or 1.47 as compared with the actual average volume 1. In other words, the results shown wouldv be 47% too high.

It is evident that, the interval Tbeing very short (usually only a fraction ofpa seoond in actual applications), it will be impossible for manometer 9 to follow the instantaneous changes in'head and it could not be accurately observed if it did. It would appear that manometer 9 should show the' average value of L, but as a matter of fact Ihave ascertained that it will give readings somewhat less than ,the average value of la when the flow-is widely pulsating, as in approaching more when the.- flow is only moderately pulsating. 'lo dampen the action of the manometer it is customary to use the equivalent of gauge cock 14, which can be adjusted down to give a restricted flow and Acause the manonleter to give a steady reading. This reading may be in some Instances equal tothe average hea-d, and in other instances may vary some- 'what from the average head. It may be Shown mathematically, and I have verified experimentally that the head shown by a manometer 10 is equal to the average head in certain rates of variation in pulsating iow, but that it diers from the average head 'in most actual rates of variation encountered in practice. Even if such a manometer would give the averagehead, it would not be reliable for computing the volume flowing unless the exact character of the cycle of variation is known. If the manometer 11 iitted with check Valve shown in Fig. 3, has openings 20 and'22 both sulliciently prevent ra id change in the indicated head 71,11, and with the relative area of openings 20 and 22 in proper proportion, it is evident that 'the fiow shown by Fig. 2 will give a reading ku equal to unity, the same as if the same volume flowed at a uniform rate during interval T. -It is also evident that if the flow then becomes uniform while continuing at the same average rate, thevalve 22 will permit-slow adjustment of manometer level, but the reading.' 11.1, will not' be aectedin any way, but will register the samez-as it previously did on the pulsating flow and thesame as manometers 9 and 1U on the steady-110W.

The theoretical quantitative relation of areas A20 and A2, may be ydetermined as follows: Manometer 11 being assumed to show unity head .71.11, during interval t1, there is a/differential head on the manometer fluid tending to make' it pass downward through opening 22, this head being equal to kl-zn or 6.25-1=5.25. During t2 this head reverses and tends. to make manometer fluid pass upward 'through orifice 20, the head so acting being 1-.25=.75. During t3 'the differential head acting upward is 1-0=1. t\ t2 and t3 are equal, and the total quantity of.y lnanometer fluid passing upward equals that passingdownward if h1, is to .remain the same at end of interval T as at the beginning. This gives the equation or A20 has an area 1.73 times as great as A22. Subject to certain practical limitations, I have found that the theoretical results as computed above correspond with actual experiments. If the fiow through the orifices -follows the hydraulic formula as above assumed, the resistivity of the orifices varies .disc 21' will remain on its'seat, the opening I as the square of the velocity of the liquid flowing through them. The velocity varies inversely as the area, therefore the resistivity would vary inverselyas the square of the areas, andthe resistivity of orifice 22 would be the square of 1.73 or 3 times as .great as that of orice 20. I have found that to obtain proper, compensation, the

areas of the orifices must bel large enough to.

in the brief permit a finite flow of liquid time interval available, but they must be small enough to offer a distinct resistance to How in either direction. Furthermore, the orifices vmust differ from each other in resistivity in the proper ratio. For the inature of'pulsating flow to which I contemplate applying my pulsating compensator, the resistivity ofthe orifices should have a ratio of the order of magnitude not'exceeding four to one. This. means, if the flow through the orifices follows the hydraulic formula, that the ratio of areas of the orifices would be of the order of magnitude not exceeding two to one. If each orifice consists of a single circular hole,the ratio of diameters would not exceed 1.5 to 1."

In demonstrating the performance of manometer 11. I havetaken a very severe practical condition as indicated in Fig. 5 which represents a single cylinder, single acting air compressor with cylinder 3G, piston 31, connecting rod 32, crank 33, inlet I at low pressure,

age. As reservoir 37 is large,

` diagramI similar to orifice plate 40. The compressor is operatedI acting merely as a displacement pump to avoid any tendency to leakthe flow from it is practically unvarying in rate and the outlet orifice across which manometer 41 is connected, handles the same average volume as the inlet orifice 4 in intake pipe 2. On

vthe down stroke bf piston 31, air is drawn through orifice 4 (Fig. 1) at velocities proportional to the approximately' harmonic motion of the piston, while during up-stroke ofl the piston flow ceases through orifice 4. This is an exceedingly pulsatory character of flow not successfully measured heretofore by any known type of flow meter. From athat of Fig. 2, I have plotted the instantaneous rates of flow and the corresponding heads during'a time cycle T consisting of one revolution of the compressor, using subdivisions t1, t2, etc., corresponding to equal angular advances of the crank shaft. From this diagram it appears that the average head on orifice 4 wouldy be 2.58 times as great as for the same volume flowing uniformly during time T,which is approximately the sameas saying that the average head would be 2.58 times that shown Y by manoineter 41. .Manometer 41 showed a head of 7 water column. 2.58 times this would be 18.06", theoretical average for manometer 9. Actually manometer fluctuated so badly it was impossible to read with any accuracy, but an approximate average observed height was l15". Manometer 10throttled to give fairly steady vreading' manometer 41. Manometer 11 was through the cylinder heads.

or hinge showed 10.2" at other adjustments of cock 14 -it would give readings anywhere from 10 to 14, showing that thereadings of manometers 9 and-10 are equally without any rational meaning that could be correctly translated into a measure of the average rate of iiow. Simultaneously, manoineter` 11 gave a reading of 7.1, which being corrected for the slight difference in density of theair passing the two orifices, gives the same rate of flow'as head of 7 shown on then substituted in placeof manometer 41 and gave the saine reading (7), proving that on a steady flow the reading is unaected by check valve 15.

In practice, the variation inflow in such service as delivery from pumps, steam supply to reciprocating engines, etc., is of a more complex nature than that shown in Fig. 2, or that due to the arrangement in Fig. 5. It cannot be reliably determined by theory, and I prefer to analyze the character of the pulsations by means of an apparatus which I have devised for the purpose an which I term a pulsatometer, illustrated the cylinder bore, and the piston rod 54,4

passes out through both heads with a uniform diameter so as to cause no unbalance. I preferably use no stuffing boxes and make the piston rod a free fit' where it passes Ports 55 and 56 open into chambers 57 and 58 on opposite sides of the piston 53. Piston rod 54 is connected to lever 59 by pin ,60. Lever 59 is preferably mounted on a flexible ligament 61 and is restrained in its movement by springs 62 and 63 with adjustable clamps 64 and 65 to permit regulating the tension. If openings 55 and 56 are connected to pressure taps 5 and 6 respectively of Fig. 1, and a pulsating ow occurs in pipe 1-2, the piston 53- willl reciprocate through a short travel proportional to the instantaneous value of the head on opposite sides of orifice 4.

To multiply the travel of'piston 53 and to obtain a record of the pulsating value of the head without introducing. friction into the mechanism, I prefer to use an optical method of recording. Lever 59 lhas a small angular travel. On 59 I mount a mirror 69 and direct light upon it by source of li0liP67 and lens 68. Mirror 69 directs this lisoncentrate'd light and focuses at a ios beam of light from mirrorv69. Film which I do not show in detail, as such devices are well known. Themechanism is enclosed in a light-tight casing 66 with partition 73 to prevent direct access of light to film 70. All of the parts inside the casing are finished dull black so that no light is refiected except that from mirror 69. v

As piston 53 reciprocates and lilm 70 travels, mirror 69 will throw a spot of light on the film vand trace aJcurve, thevordinates of which are proportional to the variations in head of the fiuid on opposite sides of orifice 4. In Fig. 8, the curve h covers one cycle of the' pulsations. The base line B maybe drawn before admitting pressures to cylinder 50, 4or by othei` methods which are obvious. From curve It, a curve fv may t be drawn to assuitable scale so that the or,-

dinates of fu vary as thes `uare root of the ordinates of ,h. This may e done by computing and plotting points or by mechanical methods. 'Line H gives the mean value of L and line V gives the mean value of lv. From V and other known factors it is possible to compute the headl which would be shown by the same volume with steady flow'. By comparison with H, it-is possible to compute proper relation of openings 20 and 22 of Fig. 3, for a check valve to be used in manometer 11` so that it will give readings the same as would be given by a steady flow of the same average value, or the proportion may be found by trial until manometer 11 gives readings equivalent to the computed head for steady flow." The same data may be used to determine the percentage or error that would be shown by an uncompensated manometer 9 or 10.

I do not limit my invention to the pulsatometer method of determining error' in flow meters or for determining the proportions of the compensating device, but in many instances it is the only practicable method which can readily be applied.

In the above description, I have referred only to head meters using a fixed orifice and variable head. These are essentially manometers using a fluidsuch as water or. mercury, and generally equipped .with accessories for recording the apparent head and translatin it into terms of volume or weight. Anot er important class of head meters employs an orifice of variable size and maintains, usually, aconstant head.

`My method of correcting for pulsating fiow applies equally to this type.

' Thus Fig.v9 shows a meter which has no` manometen but in which the moving element consists of pistons 88 and 89 and Plston rod v90 connecting them. The `body 80 of this meter has inlet opening r81 and outlet 82, cover 83, sight glass 84 and yoke 85 holding sight glass in place and closing lts upper end. Piston rod 90 moves inside of vmoving element and the area of the sight glass and its position may. be determined by observing divisions102 on scale plate 101. A cylinder inside the body con-y sists of two integral parts, 86 the' orifice cylinder, and 87 the dash-pot cylinder, connected by webs with openings 92 to permitfluid to pass from inlet81 to the inside of cylinder 86 in space marked P1. This meter is more fully described in my patent on Fluid meter, No. 1,238,498, issued August 28, 1917. In order to pass through the meter, air lifts the moving element untilpiston 88 uncovers enough holes 91 to permit the flow to take place at an average head which is fixed by the weight of the piston 88, on which the difference of'h'eadacts to balance the weight. The position of piston 88 determines the total area'of holes 91 exposed tothe flow.

The flow Iunder constant headis in direct proportion to the areaof the orifice, and the position of top end of rod 90 as shown Iby scale divisions 102 is therefore a measure of the rate of flow. The above applies strictly to a steady flow.

'If the flow is pulsating, another factor enters in. Piston 89 `Works in oil in dashpot cylinder 87 so that if piston -88 moves up or down, oil is transposed. from one side to the other of piston 89 through the annular space 97 between the piston and the wall of the cylinder. A definite average rate of flow will produce a higher average head if pulsating than' if constant. Responding to this higher average, piston 88 will rise and indicate a greater vrate of iow, unless restrained by dash-pot action. Piston 89 has a recess 93 with one or more holes 94 coinmunicating with the oil below the piston. A disc valve l95'nornr1ally seated on piston l89 has an opening 96 of les; size than holes 94:. Disc 95 is restrained in its lift by pin 98. In the bottom of cylinder 87 is a ball check valve 100 permitting up fiow of oil from oil supply 103 in the lower part of body'80, but preventing 'return flow through opening99.

The purpose of this is'to keep cylinder 87 filled with oil. If piston 88 moves upward,4

oil will fiow up through opening 99 and will How down through openings 96 and 97 the total volume of oil transferred bein equal to the displacement of piston 89. all the combined effective area of these threeleak areas'A1. If piston 88 moves downward, oil, will fiow upward through openings 94 and 97. Callthis combined leakage area A2. If, on a pulsating How, piston 88 is to keep the same average position as it would on steady iow of the y same average volume passing through the meter, the volume of oil fiowing through area A1 must equal that through area A2.l If A2 exceeds A1 lby a sufficient amount, permit-ting piston 88 to adjust downward more easily than it moves up,

vao

ward, it Will maintain a position corresponding to that .for the same volumeat steady How. This may be quantitatively shown by calculations similar to those above indicated in connection with manometer 11 and the check valve of Fig. 3.

The net result of arrangement shown in Fig. 9 is' to produce a greater average head von orifices 91 than that due to the Weight of the moving element, this greater average head being/applied by the dash-pot action, and being such that the pulsating flow can "pass orifice 91 Without the necessity of mov- .ing the piston upWard. On steady flow, the disc 95 remains on its seat and the dash-pot has no effect on th head, except when the` rate of flow in the meter changes. The meter will therefore. measure correctly on a pulsating flow and, without change, will be correct on a steady flow.

In the application ofl my method to various other forms of meters, suitable modifications in structure may be made to meet the needs of the particular` device. Modifica'- tions in detail will suggest themselves in connection with meters ot' the manometer type.

1For;example, Where mercury columns are used, the check valve 15 would naturally be inverted, as the Vdisc of metal 21 of Fig. 3 would be buoyant in mercury and the vaction of gravity would therefore-be upward instead of downward.

No 'claim is made in this application to the specific form of liquid manometer shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the' subject matter of which being claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 704,243, filed April 4, 1924..

1. A pulsation compensated flow meter com rising a movable element actuated by hea and subject to the pulsating head of the metered fluid, means retarding said moving velement in both directions, the degree of retardation beingv greater in one direction than in the other but-in definite relation thereto, said retarding means comprising a liquid valve device having a displaceable valve member which affords, when seated, a port opening ofrless area than the port opening pulsating when the valve is unseat'ed, the port of less area being effective when the movement of the movable element is induced by the head of the metered fiuid.

24. The method of' metering a fiuid having a pulsating flow, which comprises causing said fluid toenergize a. movable meter element,` comprising a liquid resistance, and

permitting displacementV of said resistantliquid, during constant average flow of the metered iuid, only in substantially equal amounts duringl opposite pulsation eif'orts of y the metered fluid.l

3. The method .of measuring the rate ot' Huid flow which consists in establishing a dierential head in the fluid, registering the flow by head-actuated means, and providing resistances to the `head-actuated means, said resistances being effective only when the flow varies and the relative resistivity of said resistances differing in the ratio of the order of' magnitude not exceeding 4 to 1.

4. IA 'pulsation compensated fiow meter4 comprising a movable'element subject to the head of the meteredl fiuid, and

means damping unequally the movement of said element in opposlte directions, said means comprising a liquid valve device having port openings, have a ratio not exceeding 2 to 1, only the port opening of less area being .effective when the movement of the movable element is inducedby the head of the metered fluid.

the area of less extent when the movement of the movable element is induced by the head of the metered fluid,

In' testimony vwhereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARENCE A. DAWLEY.

the relative areas of which movable element subject to the 

